I thought this would be another Disc World novel, but it's more like a fairy tale for modern children (of all ages). It takes place in a timeless, nationless place called The Chalk where children pay itinerant teachers with apples and eggs for a lesson or two when they have the time. Pratchett draws on traditional fairy tales and folklore for this story, which nonetheless is fresh and funny. It has all the fey looniness of the Disc World stories, and the reader does a very funny Scotts brogue for the Mac Nac Feegles. I wish I had a nine-year-old with a goofy sense of humor to share this with.

healing from retina surgery has afforded me the chance to become a lover of recorded books....and my favorite has been "the wee free men"....this book is fun, funny and filled with bits of wisdom that are scattered liberally through it like flint in chalk....
i had listened to "monstrous regiment" and enjoyed it, but i liked this book much better.....and the narration is amazing....what a challenge to find voices for so many characters....a challenge well met....
so if you like stories for the child in you....if you like colorful imagination, good-hearted humor and down-to-earth wisdom, you might very well love this book.....or not....one never knows.....

If you have a car full of kids on your way to anything, or you're just an adult with time on your hands, you will find yourself looking for short blue guys that can get into or out of anything, except pubs. Oh, aye. We have a wee bit of a problem gettin' out o' them. They'll get into your heed, along with Tiffany, her brother, and the whole philosphy of witches, elves, and The Chalk.

Pratchett is a marvel. He disguises morality as a child's story. A witch has to speak and do for those as can't. OK. That's not a quote, directly, but it's close. A witch's job is mostly being there, to answer, when no one else can do the job. He disguises philosophy so well, that it's perfectly clear what he means!

I also must commend the reader. He could leave out all of the he said, Tiffany replied, Granny Weatherwax grunted, whatever. I hear 'em and I see 'em, even now that the book's finished. I cannot recommend it enough.

I have been listening to these books for the past couple of years and I have come to the conclusion that Terry Pratchett was a musician in the way that he wrote his So I can listen to them over and over again and it's just like listening to a favorite album!